The Summit Sustainable Building Code requires energy and water efficient design and construction for residential and commercial buildings, helping our community meet important carbon reduction and water conservation goals.
Compliance with the 2020 Summit Sustainable Building code is required in the following jurisdictions:
- Breckenridge, Colorado
- Dillon, Colorado
- Frisco, Colorado
- Summit County, Colorado
Residential New Construction
All new residential construction will comply with the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program. This program applies to R-2 and R-3 occupancies as well as R-4 occupancies above 3 stories (but not more than 5 stories).
A Zero Energy Ready Home maximizes energy efficiency, air quality, and water conservation. The result is a home that’s more affordable to operate and healthy to live in. In fact, all certified Zero Energy Ready Homes are so efficient, a renewable energy system can offset most or all annual energy consumption.
Ready to build your first Zero Energy Ready Home?
- A list of all local HERS raters serving Summit County can be found here.
- The Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home Partner Central has everything designers and builders need to get started. First, you’ll have to register as a program partner and watch the Zero Energy Ready Home Orientation Webinar.
- Review the Zero Energy Ready Home program requirements. When designing a home, your architect should consult with a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater early in the process to determine the required HERS score for your project. Builders will need to ensure that the building design and construction process meet the target score.
Commercial New Construction
New commercial construction must demonstrate 10% energy savings above a building built to the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). In jurisdictions that have adopted the Summit Sustainable Building Code, the IECC has been amended to provide guidance on program requirements.
Training & Resources
For more guidance on energy efficient design and construction, check out these resources:
- The Building America Solution Center provides access to expert information on hundreds of high-performance construction topics, including air sealing and insulation, HVAC components, windows, indoor air quality, and much more.
- The Colorado Energy Office offers code webinars for building officials, builders, and designers. Past webinars and slides are posted here.
- ENERGY STAR for Homes
- EPA Indoor airPLUS
- EPA WaterSense
- Zero Energy Ready Home Training and Webinars
- Zero Energy Project
Questions?
For questions related to a specific building project, permitting, or compliance, please contact the appropriate building department.
- Town of Breckenridge Building Department | (970) 453-3180
- Town of Frisco Building Department | (970) 668-5276
- Summit County Building Inspection | (970) 668-3170
For questions about HERS ratings or the Zero Energy Ready Home program, call HC3 at (970) 668 – 5703.